Stroke/CVA Resources

Stroke/CVA Resources

A stroke or cerebro-vascular accident (CVA) can be a very debilitating event in an individual’s life. Some individuals make a complete recovery, others only have minor difficulties and their communication is unaffected. However, for some their speech and language can be severely affected. This section provides information about the effects of a stroke and some strategies to facilitate communication.

A stroke or cerebro-vascular accident (CVA). This article discusses the effects of a stroke, the types of impairment that might occur, and factors that effect recovery. Click here to read more.

Reading and Writing following a stroke. The ability to read and write can be affected by a stroke or brain injury. Although you might not get the reading and writing skills back that you had prior to your brain injury or stroke, it is possible to make reading and writing easier by using some different strategies. Click here to read more.

Dysarthria refers to a speech difficulty that may occur following an injury or disease to the brain, cranial nerves or nervous system. Dysphonia is a hoarseness, weakness or loss of voice. Following a stroke dysarthria and/or dysphonia may occur making speech difficult and often reducing intelligibility. There are a number of treatment options that can be used to facilitate speech. Click Here to read more.

Picture Communication Charts

When you have had a stroke, a brain injury, or lost the ability to speak for whatever reason, just expressing your basic needs can be difficult. Using picture charts can be a short or long term solution to just help you express a few of those common words quickly. I have made up a few different charts that I thought might help. These picture communication charts just contain everyday vocabulary such as people, places, feelings, and basic needs.

Written Communication chart
The Written communication chart contains written basic vocabulary for those who don’t need, or don’t want picture charts. Everyday vocabulary includes people, places, feelings, and basic needs.

Alphabet Chart (stroke)
Dysarthria effects your speech and can make your speech, hoarse, breathy and often unintelligible. One simple strategy to use to help people to understand you is to use an alphabet chart. Obviously you can use this to spell words out if you are not understood, but a quicker way is to just point to the first sound of the word you are trying to say. When the listener knows the first sound they can often cue into the rest of the word as you say it by listening to your speech and intonation, and using the context of the conversation.